Harvester-reel



(N0 Model.)

J. F. STEWARD.

HARVESTER REEL.

Patented July 1886I 0912 wie ZW".

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE@ JOHN F. STEVARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HARVESTER-REEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,232, dated July 27, 1886.

Application filed March 1, 1884. Serial No. 122,559. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. STEWARD, of Chicago,in the county of Cook and State ol' Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in HarvestenReels, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of. my invention is to improve harvesterreels and its nature consists in a combination of three pivotcd frames, (preferably triangulan) two of them pivoted or hinged to the frame of the harvester, and connected by the third in such-a manner that the reel shaft may be given the required adjustments,both vertical and forward and back 5 in providing driving mechanism that shall impart motion to the reel, whatever the adjustment of the latter, and be automatically adjusted in relation thereto; and in the devices and combinations of the mechanical elements necessary to make the principles involved in the invention practical.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention, showing enough of the harvester to give a correct idea of the position of the parts which constitute my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the braced frame or reel-post,which forms the main support of the reel. Fig. 3 is a view of the same partly in section, and the bracket in which the reel-shaft is journaled. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the braced bar G and lockingplate on the seat-board. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the braced lever for making the adjustments of the reel. grain side of l[he reel-post, showing the means for adjusting the height of the reel in relation to the said post. Fig.7 is a detached perspective view of thelatch-rod. spective view of the latch-spring. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the ring or sleeve clamped to the upper end of the pipe B2, to which the brace B: is secured. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the reel-supporting bracket having a bearingfor the reel-shaft. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the gearing for driving the reel from the grain side. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the bracket-arm for keeping certain of the gears in mesh. Fig. 13 is aperspeetive view of a socket which forms a journal for the bevel-pinion at the foot of the shaft which Fig. 6 is an elevation from the transmits motion from the fixed gearing` on the harvester-frame to that on the reel-shaft bracket. Fig. 14 is a view of a modification.

In the drawings, all parts lettered A,what ever the index, are of the harvester-frame, A being the finger-bar, A the shoe, a strong casting to which the front board of the cle- Vator-frame A2 is secured. l

A3 is a post which forms, in part, a support for the girt A".

A5 and A6 are the usual drums for carrying the elevator-canvases. The drum A5 in this case performs more than the ordinary function, in that from it the reel is driven.

A7 is the seat-board of the harvester, upon the rear of which, in the usual place and manner, is secured the seat for the driver.

A8 is the endless platform-carrier, and A0 is the cutting apparatus.

B is a metallic bracket bolted to the framework of the harvester, and B* is a yoke-bolt, in which and in eyes in the two wings b and b of B is the horizontal rock-shaft B, made of gaspipe for lightness. Its grain end projects somewhat beyond the bracket B, and to and beside it is secured, by means of the clip or yoke b2, the reel-post B2, formed of gas-pipe. The rockshaft and reel-post form the base and perpendicular of a right-angled triangle,while the bracerod B, firmly secured to said rockshaft and post, forms the hypotennsc. The brace-rod has ascrew-thread at its lower end. It is passed through the rock-shaft B and sccured by a nut.

b is a split metallic collar, of internal size equal to the outside diameter of the gas-pipe BL', provided with two lugs, b4, through which a bolt passes, by the tightening of which the collar is in effect shrunken so tightly upon the gas-pipe as to become as one piece with it. The upper end of the brace is provided with an eye through which the bolt referred to also passes, thus securing the brace in place. The shaft B being free to rock in its supports, the braced reel-post may be rocked forward and backward at) will. The base of the braced reel-post being supported to the harvester frame at distant points, no lateral movement is possible. This rigidity (preventing lateral movement of the frame) must be borne well in mind, as it is an essential one of the elements IOO of a combination to be hereinafter described. On this post the reel-shaft bracket is mounted.

The post B2 may, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, be made so high that the reel-bearing bracketmay slide directly upon it; yet I prefer another form which I will now describe. The post B'l being tubular and being` yoked to the other parts, as described, the bore is left unobstructed by bolts or other1 parts. In this somewhat loosely slides another pipe, G, which, with the part B2, forms a telescoping reel-post. To this last pipe, at its upper end, is secured the bracket D by means of the bolts d, d', and di, the bracket being so shaped that it saddles onto the pipe properly. Crossing the pipe substantially parallel with the cutting apparatus is the sleeve formed by coring out the cast-metal bracket D. This sleeve is slitted its entire length at its rear side, and has thetwolugs di, through which bolts pass. Through this sleeve passes the gas-pipe D and is there firmly clamped by the tightening of the bolts (1*. reel-shaft, which is thus supported at a right angle to the reel-post. By the telescoping of the pipe C with that B2 the reel, thus supported,may be adjusted to any desired height.

The means for retaining the reel-supporting bracket in any desired position consists of a ratcheted bar,c, hinged on a projecting end of the bolt d2, and dropping alongside of the pipe C, a little distance therefrom, which passes through a slot, b5, made in a projecting ange of the ring or collar. (Shown in Fig. 9.) This slot is so made that the notched bar c may move freely in it; but its front wall or, margin, b",is so shaped that the teeth ofthe notched bar, when thrown against it, may engage.

c is a spring c'oiled around the bolt dbeside the .'bar, its longer end engaging the latter and its shorter one resting suitably against the bracket D, as seen in Fig. 6, the said spring being thus adapted to swingthe bar c forward, so as to engage bs.

To c, (see Figs. 6 and 7) Ipivot one end of the link c", which is made ot' such form as to surround the sleeve d3, its internal length being such that it may have a slight `longitudinal movement, and its width being just suflicient to receive the sleeve and move freely thereon. The other end of the link c is secured so as t'o be substantially concentric with the sleeve da. i

E is a lever of the first order, pivoted at E, its rear end within easy reach of the driver. At its front end the lever is provided with an eye, through which the reel-shaft passes.

El is a brace secured to E', from preference near its fulcrum, diverging thence forward and outward to near the grain end of the reelt shaft F, and there terminates in an eye surrounding the latter. Upon the grain end of the `reel-shaft is the reel-spider GX, secured thereto. Upon the stubble end ot the reelshaft is pinned or keyed a. gear .for giving it motion. The ends E and EZ are thus confined in place at either end of the gas-pipe D. Thus The gas-pipe DVforms a bearing for the;

the sleeve Dand the lever E form the base and perpendicular andthe brace E the hypotenuse of a right-angle triangle, the whole forming a braced frame of great stiffness.

e is a'latch-lever pivoted to the end of the reel-lever and connecting it with the latchrod c. lever Ef is pressed down,and the reel-bearing and reel correspondingly raised, the ratchetbar yielding against the pressure of the spring c' to pass the stop b pressure upon` the'latch-lever `draws the bar c out of engagement with the said stop,and the reel may fall. the angle of the lever in relation to the reellpost changes, and in making this change thev end of the latch-rod c2, where hooked into the link cx, simply slides around on the arc of the latter, thus not varying the effective length, which, if done, would make the latching devices inoperative. The fulcrum of lever l E is upon and near the apex of another braced bar, G, which performs two important func- J tions-namely, that of'a fulcrum adjustableV forwardandback and a post,l of the reel-re-` To raise the reel, the free end of the In depressing the reel, j

In producing these movements taining mechanism. This barG is pivotedat one side of the'seat-board A1. The brace G is bolted to the top of the bar, and is pivoted at t-he bottom to the other side of the seatboard. The bolt g passing through the seatboard forms the pivot for both the postfG'and its brace. v is formed, the seat-board being the base, the

bar or postG the perpendiculaiyand theA The pivot-bolt g brace G the hypotenuse. is parallelrwith the rock-shaft B', and forms the pivot of the reel-post. the reel-lever may raise and lower the reel, and also move it forward and backward.

The locking mechanism for retaining the` reel in any forward or rearward position will be most easily understood by referring to Figs. 1 and 4,where the lever is shown as not jointed directly to the apexof the braced post G,

Thus a third right-angled triangley Mounted upon this noV but tothe top of a at bar of iron, H, lying beside the bar G, so narrowed and bent 'at h as to pass directly through the slot g in H,

and receive a pinto prevent it from vescapinf". hithrough which the bolt g2 passes. vThis The bar H is also provided with a slot,

bolt is so shouldered that it may draw E2 and E tightly together and yet leave H free to slide. K I is a curved locking-plate, notched-Tulpen the notcheswhen. the said bar is at its lowermost position. When locked, as shown in Fig. 1, the bar G, and hence the lever E and reel-support-,will be incapable of any forward or backward movement. If the lever E' is raised, the foot hfof the bar Hwill bexwithdrawn from ,the notches in. the locking-plate, and the whole reel-sustaining mechanism may be Vmoved forward or back. Y

Two 4locking devices have been described,

the seat-board.

one controlled by the lever e andthe other by the bar H, both so connected with the lever E as to be controlled by the driver. f

The pressure of the grain and extraneous objectsas, for instance, the limbs of treeswill tend to produce a movement of the reelsupporting bracket D around C. The object of the frames formed by the braced posts isto prevent such movement. Any tendency on the part of the reel to swing backward or forward must also tend to swing the braced lever E', the bracing of which is formed in part by the sleeve D ou the bracket D. Any tendency of the reel-shaft to swing forward or backward will be resisted by the braced bar G. If an attempt be made to swing the outer end of the reel-shaft forward, as indicated by the arrow l in Fig. 1,'the stress will be imparted to the braced bar G, and tend to rock it over in the direction indicated by arrow 2 in the same figure. Such movement is, however, resisted by the firm footing ofthe said bar G.

By the combination ofthe braced reel-post, the braced lever E', andthe braced bar G, said bar and lever being connected by a pivot, and said bar and said post being pivotally secured to the harvester-frame, as described, a reelsupport is made that in practice possesses lightness, strength, and scope of adjustment not before attained. The pivot of the reelpost is located so low on the machine that the reel, even when in its lowermost position, has ample movement forward and back, which would not be the case if it were pivoted upon I locate the rock-shaft B in such a position on the frame-work that it shall cross thcaXis of the drum A5. rIhis rock-shaft forms the journal on which rotate the gearwheel J and pinion J', which are formed in one piece. The shaft ofthe drum projects through l[he front elevator-board of the harvester, and is supported in a bearing in the bracket B, and upon its end, in proper position to engage the bevel-geur J, is the pinion J2.

In such aposition aste be properly engaged by the gear J', I place the gear K, chambered out, as shown in the sectional view, Fig. 3, so as to form a journal to rest in a suitable cupshaped step, which is formed in the ca'sting L, (shown in Fig. 13,) which is bolted to the rock-shaft B. This step serves also as au oil reservoir. The journal formed 011 the wheel K is cored through, so that oil may be introduced into the cup.

To prevent the gear K from disengaging from that of J', I provide the bracket K?, which I secure at the junction of'and between the rock-shaft B and the post B2, with a crotch that shall rest above the shoulder j of the gear K, and straddle the smaller part of the hub. The uppermost part ofthe hub of the gear K is cored with a square soeke't, and into this loosely fits the foot of the square shaft M. The purpose of fitting it loosely into the gear is to make such connection operate to aslight extent as a universal joint, so that any slight inaccuracy in placing the cup or socket L on the rock-shaft B will not be felt in throwing the shaft M out of line. The shaft M is otherwise supported by passing through the eye ofthe bevel-pinion N, which eye is squared to fit it somewhat loosely. The hub ofthe pinion N is smoothed to form a journal, t0 move in a short vertical sleeve, D2, a part of the bracket I). rlhe pinion is so located as to properly mesh with the gear O, keyed to the reel-shaft. As the reel-bracket is made to raise and fall, the pinion but slides along the shaft without affecting the relation ofthe gears. In the adjustment backward and' forward of the reel the reel-post swings about the axis of the rock-shaft B', and the gear K being journaled on a bearing secured to the same, andthe gear J being concentric with the said movement of the reetpost, will but carry the gear K in part around the gear J, and that without affecting its mesh with the latter, the only effect being to hasten or retard the motion of the reel impereeptibly, however. Y

It is plain that the braced reel-pest, lever, and bars may be made of cast metal of anydcsired shapeto give sufficient strength. lf the base and perpendicular of each triangle were made very strong and firmly united, as shown, for example, in Fig. lft, the hypoteuuse ofthe triangle might be dispensed with. lf made, however, as shown in the preceding figures great strength and lightness are attained.

It it is wished, chains instead of gears may be used for driving, yet the latter seem better in practice. I

In this invention, I depend upon the reelpost to sustain the reel and to keep it horizontal, and upon the braced reel-lever, tulerumed upon a support properly braced or otherwise prevented from lateral movement, retain the reel-shaft parallel with the cutting apparatus, and I wish to distinguish this invention from that class in which the parallelism is retained by means of frame-like or braced reel-lever i'ulcrumed on a frame pivoted to the seat-board, and this regardless of a mere prop or its equivalent to sustain the weight only.

I am aware that a horizontal lever supporting a reel shaft has been provided with a lateral brace, and also that a post-supporting lever has been provided with a lateral brace, and these features separately considered I do not claim.

I believe myself to be the first to combinea rcel-post which is laterally braced and arranged to give entire support to the reel-shaft bearing to maintain said shaftiu a horizontal position, alaterally-braced lever and a laterally-braced standard to support said lever. Under my organization the reel-post receives the entire weight ofthe rcel and serves alone to maintain the reel-shaft iu a horizontal position, or, in other words, to prevent thcsagging of the reel. rIhe braced standard eflectually prevents lateral motion ofthe lever, and the latter, with' the assistance of its lateral brace connecting with the reel-bearing at two points,

eft'ectually prevents the reel-shaft frombeing thrown horizontally out of line in consequence of the resistance which the grain offers to the rotation of the reel.

Those familiar with the practical operations in the iield are aware that heavy grain offers great resistance to the rotation of the reel, and that this resistance in connection with the weight of the reel, which is carried in anoverhung position, commonly causes the rcel to sag and tip downward out of its position. ABy my peculiar combination of parts this displacement of the reel is effectually prevented, the three members of the organization co-operating and affording a mutual support in such manner that the reel is held firmly in position.4

It'will be perceived that the rcel-post, its horizontal supporting-shaft, and its lateral brace rigidly connected to each other constitute,

jointly, an angular frame with a broad base, that the reel-adjusting lever and its base constitute in' effect a second angular frame, and that the lever -supporting standard and its brace form, jointly, a third angular frame. While itis preferred for various reasons to form each of these frames with separate parts rigidly united, as shown, it is manifest that, if preferred,they may be made cach in one piece.

What I claim is- 1. In a reel sustaining and adjusting nicchanism, the reel-sustaining post andthe diagonal brace connected thereto, in combination with the standard G and its diagonal brace, and the reel-adjusting lever E,jointed to the lreel-bearing and to the standard and provided .with a diagonal brace, whereby the post is enabled to prevent the sagging of the reel, and the lever enabled to prevent the reel from swinging horizontally.

2. The horizontal rock -shaft mounted in bearings on the frame, in combination with the reel-supporting standard and the brace secured rigidly to the shaft and to each other, substantially as described.

8. The reel-sustaining post B2 and its diagonal brace, both hinged to the frame to swing forward and backward, in combinationwith the verticallyadjustable reel bearing sus- 5o tained by said post, the standard G and its brace,both pivoted to the frame in'rear of the post and its brace, the horizontal hand-lever' E', sustained by the standard land connected with the reel-shaft, and the brace E,extending 5'5/` from said lever to the reel-shaft at a distance from the post B2. v

4. In aharvester, the main standard pivoted to swing forward and backward and the reel doted standard G, its locking-plate H,.and 7o v notched plate I, in combination with'the reeladjusting lever E', pivoted to the plate'H.

6. The combination of the reel, the rockshaft B', the braced reel-post B?, secured to said rock-shaft, drum-shaft A5, bracket B, secured to the harvester-frame and provided with the bearings for said shaft and said rockshaft, the gear-wheel J, journaled on the rockshaft, the pinion J", mounted on the saidshal't A5, and means, substantially as described, for `8c transmitting motion from the said gear-wheel J to the reel, substantially as set forth. ,i

7 The rock-shaft B', the swinging reel-post conncctedto the rock-shaft, the gear-wheel J, and pinion J', rotating on said rock-shaft, the bearing-plate L, secured to the rockshaft,`aud the pinion K, j ou rnaled on said bearing, whereby the said pinions are retained in their proper positions relative to each other and to the reelpost, all combined and arranged substantially 9') as described. t Y

Y JOHN F. STEVVARD.

wWitnesses:

JOHN B. KAsPARI, DEXTER P. DoNnLsoN. 

